Bikram Yoga -Cracking the Code
Notes from a novice and former skeptic .
Note -This is a work in progress and may change at any time depending on my mood which is suppossed to improve with each passing class.
Warm up
In Yoga, it is very important to do some Warm-up Poses before a session so you will be physically ready for the Yoga Poses that you want to practice. Moreover, Warm-up exercises will prepare your body for more difficult poses in the future. In this section, learn some poses and exercises that you can do before a Yoga class:
Basically I get there 15 minutes early and stretch out what hurts. The teacher tells us to keep our eyes open and be in the room. I just close my eyes and try to take a nap hoping to wake up 12o minutes later.
Standing Poses
1,=.Pranayama
Standing deep breathing -
I kind of like this one it makes me breath deeply and I can usually space out and not listen. This one gives me a mental feel for my state of mind for the night. If I have not thought only 83 more minutes left ....Its not going to be a bad night
Its weird how deep breathing makes you sweat from the elbows. But this serves as an enjoyable beginning to a yoga practice.
Standing Side Stretch Pose (Half moon pose with hands to feet pose)
The Standing Side Stretch Yoga Pose may give you the look of a tree swayed by wind, though this pose offers more benefits than just a stretch on your branches. This side stretch will increase the flexibility of your spine, arms, and rib cage as it stimulates the liver, kidney, and spleen functions.
This one looks so darn easy and in a way it is until you stretch futher than you need to, and my balance basically sucks anyway , nobody is going to die doing this one. The liver is very happy because you are not drinking tonight. Bikram is like that.
At the end of this series one adds a forward bend which gives one the sensation much like that of doing LSD, (not that I know what that feels like) , but the first forward bend certainly brings blood to the big head.
Pada Hastasana
Hands to feet pose -This one is very very hard and it should be as the benefits to this baby are enormous. Some literature suggests that is Greatly enhances concentration which I have no doubt about as this is a very hard stretch and just getting close to this position takes alot of mental energy...
Warrior Pose III (Virabhadrasana III)
Lift your left foot and straighten your right leg simultaneously, keeping your arms parallel to the floor. At this point, your raised leg, upper body and arms should be parallel to the floor. Give length to the entire
spine by stretching your arms and your legs. This results in stretching from two sides of the back: stretching from the legs and from the arms. Keep on
breathing through the belly and be careful not to bend your lower back
Thanks for reminder about keep on breathing. I tape that to my arm as this one beats the shit out of me. Click here if you want to see what it looks like. I am not going to sugar coat this one...Its a good work out for the belly and its not that hard. I like that sweat is pouring off your face like a water fall. A short mini-skirt is recomended for this pose. It keeps the sweat at bay. It is the only balance one i can do...Well not 100 percent correct...but I can do it...
Eagle Pose - Garudasana
When you look at
Eagle Pose, it seems to be all about balancing while standing on one leg, and it's easy to get freaked out about that and lose out on the great shoulder opening you get from the arms portion of the pose. So what if you take the legs out of the equation? Try doing just the arms portion while seated in a comfortable position such as
Sukasana.
Basically you take your left arm under
your right arm and twist it as hard as you can
and you jam it under your chin with your
fingers pointing upward and then you take
your opposite leg and throw it over your knee
and wrap the toe aroung the opposite ankle.
Floor series
14. Pavanamuktasana
Wind removing pose -basically you remove all your wind by pronouncing this word three times.Basically pull your right knee toward you left shoulder trying to lengthen the spine...The the left leg and both legs together. I like this one alot but its about this time in the work out I am looking ay my clock as only 38 minutes remain.
5. Sit-up
Sit-up
Benefits
- Strengthens and tightens the abdomen
- Open mouth exhalation stimulates diaphragm and eliminates toxins from lungs
The goal between these stretched are to recover you heart rate and is followed by an easy situp that I really need to concentrate on more. Its a good time to glance at the watch....
16. Bhujangasana
Cobra pose- This one truly feels good. I like this one but its a harbinger to the dreaded 
Locust pose (the one on the left) where by the pose is fine, but we are told to put our arms under our bodies palms down and my carpal tunnel induced arms revlt against this and this starts my gradual meltdown for the the next 24 minutes of class...
FAQ's
Why is the room heated? - f you think about it, it makes sense. To best benefit from any exercise program we should always warm our bodies up and at the end warm down. The temperature of the yoga room is similar to our body’s own temperature. This facilitates faster improvement in many of the benefits resulting from your yoga practice. Just think of it as a hot day. Or better still, if you have been used to exercising you will recognise that the best feelings come when you are at the peak of your exercise and your body has had enough time to generate the warmth from the inside radiating it out to all of your muscles.
The real truth- All of that is fine, but this merit charging 15.00 a class....And it honestly makes the water Melon after class taste so much better.
Quotes
"I hate this class, but I love the following 24 hours after class."
Me before my third class...
"Thanks Michael, I somewhat liked that class."
Me after my ninth class....
